The Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University has been awarded funding from the Queensland Government and Chinese Academy of Sciences for a joint research project into pollution in our waterways.

 

The $500,000 project will investigate how the regeneration of vegetation along water courses can provide a cost-effective means of reducing sediment and nutrient water pollution often associated with agriculture.



Deputy Director of the Australian Rivers Institute, Professor Jon Olley and Dr Quanfa Zhang accepted the Joint Biotechnology Projects Fund award from the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Chunli Bai, and the Queensland Minister for Science, Ros Bates in Brisbane.



Professor Jon Olley said the results of this study will have global implications and further enhance Queensland's reputation as a world leader in agricultural and environmental water management.



"A major challenge for Queensland and China is to continue to meet growing human and agricultural needs for water without degrading rivers, lakes and wetlands and the important goods and services they provide," Professor Olley said.



"It is well known that bank erosion and poor riparian (interface between land and river) conditions are major contributors to poor water quality and ecosystem health in many of Australia's and China's waterways," he said.



"The aim of the project is to develop solutions to improve riparian plant cover with the aim of shading channels, stabilising river banks, slowing down water flows, and trapping sediment and nutrient run-off."



Improving the health of Queensland's waterways will also have economic, environmental and social implications. Primary industries, the energy sector and tourism are all set to benefit and, there is an additional boost for consumers in that improved water quality reduces water treatment costs.



South East Queensland's bulk water provider, Seqwater, which has contributed $50,000 to this project, will be an end-user of the research findings. This will further enhance Seqwater's reputation as an industry leader and model of best-practice for other water utility providers.